Gravity door-closer



(No Model.)

M. R. HUBBELL.

GRAVITY DOOR CLOSER. No. 527,495. Patented Oct. 16, 1894.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ MYRON R. HUBBELL, or WoLooTT, VERMONT.

GRAVITY DOQR-CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 527,495, dated October 16, 1894.

Application filed July 10, 1393. Serial no. 480.050; (N model.)

To all whom itmay concern: a

Beit known that I, MYRON R. HUBBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wolcott, in the county of Lamoille and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Closing Doors; and

Ido declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

invention consists in a self closing door, embodying certain novel and valuable features; and the invention will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the same numerals of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several figures:-Figure l is a perspective view, showing the door partly open. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the adjustable inclined plane and its base plate. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the left-hand end, and Fig. 4a similar view of the right-hand end of said supporting or base plate. Fig.5 illustrates in detail the right-hand adjustable end of the inclined track, and the pawl 11; Fig. 6 is an elevation of the adjustable hanger, and Fig.7

shows the several parts of the same separated l to better illustrate their construction. Fig.

Sis a detail view of the top of the door.

Referring to the several parts by their des- .ignating numerals:-1 indicates the door, which is held in place at its rear edge by sliding hinges 2, 2, which permit the door to rise as it is opened and descend as it is closed, as hereinafter described.

The door is supported by the hanger 3, the construction of which will be described in detail farther on, and the roller of which "travels upon an adjustable inclined plane, 4.

This plane consists of acircular metal track, the lower end of which is formed with a pivot, 5, which is mounted in a socket, 6, in the casting-plate 7, which is secured by screws to the door-frame in the position shown. The

outer end of this circular plane is formed with a rack-plate, 8, having the inclined teeth 9 on its inner edge, and the said end of the plane fits andmoves in as1ottedbearing,l0,

formed in the outer part of the casting-plate 7.

A pawl, 11, having a projecting fingerpiece, is adapted to engage with the teeth of the rack-plate 8, and is thrown into and out of engagement therewith by applying the finger to its projecting finger-piece 11 A retaining recess, 12, is formed in the upper edge of the curved plane near its outer end, the object of which will be hereinafter explained.

The hanger 3 has the bifurcated upper end, the arms of which extend up on each side of the curved track, and have a roller 13 jourjnaled in their upper ends which runs upon the track, as shown. The stem, 14, of the hanger is threaded, and flattened on opposite sides, at 15, 15. I

The bracket, 16, is secured to the upper end formedwith a central opening 17 of twice the through it; and the edge-flange of the bracketplate is formed with teeth or serrations 18.

upon the top of the bracket-plate, and has a rectangular central opening, 20, through which the flattened stem of the hanger passes, and which prevents the stern of the hanger from turning, while leaving it free for vertical adjustment. The plate 19 has a projecting end, 21, which is recessed on its under .side and engages with the bracket teeth 18,

thereby holding the plate from turning.

3 A bindingnut, 22, is mounted on the threaded hanger-stem above the adjustingplate, and a similar nut 23 fits on the lower end of the stem, and has a washer, 24;, between it and the under side of the bracketplate. It will now be seen that by turning the nuts 22, 23, up or down that the hanger can be raised or lowered, to suit the adjustable jtrack,'when the nuts are tightened to hold it in that adjusted position; also, by turning the recessed end of the plate 19 around along the series of teeth with which it engages, the hanger can be turned to adjust it at the proper angle to suit the curvature of the adjustable plane on which its roller runs,

thatposition; also it will be seen that the hanger can be moved, horizontally, in any of the door in the position shown, and is 19 indicates an adj usting-plate, which rests diameter of the hanger-stem, which passes when the nuts are tightened to bind it in a end of the lower nut, and bears against the flange of the bracket-plate to hold the nut in its adjusted position.

The top edge of the door 1 is beveled down ward toward its inner side, and the corners of the door-top are rounded as well as thus beveled; the object of this construction being to enable the door to commence rising as soon as it begins to open and the roller of its hanger begins to travel up the inclined plane.

It will be seen that as the door is swung open the roller of its adjustable hanger will travel up on the inclined circular plane 4:, the door thus rising as it is swung open, and when released by the hand the weight of the door will cause its hanger-roller to run down the circular inclined plane, and the door will thus automatically close by its own weight. The outer end of the circular plane can be raised as far as desired, and will be held at the point to which it is adjusted by the stop or pawl 11, engaging with its rack-plate; and the inclination of the circular plane can be thus adjusted to regulate the rapidity with which the door will close, and to more readily close large or heavy doors.

As before described the hanger is adj ustable in every direction, to suit the exact height, curve, and inclination of the circular adjustable plane.

When it is desired to have the door stand open, it is swung back until the roller of its hanger drops into the retaining recess 12 of the circular plane which will hold the roller and the door in its open positionywhile a very slight pull on the door-knob will free the roller from the recess and allow the door to close by its own weight.

Any suitable latch can of course be used on this door, but I preferably employ the latch shown, for which Letters Patent No. 482,794 were granted to me September 20, 1892. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a door closure, the combination of an inclined track'placed at the top of the door, pivotally supported at the inner end, vertically adjustable at the outer end, means for positively holding the track in the adjusted position, a hanger having a roller to travel on the track, and means for connecting the hanger with the door, substantially as described.

2. In a door closure, the combination of an inclined track placed above the top end of the door, pivotally supported at one end, vertically adjustable at the opposite end, means 'for positively holding the track in the adjusted position, a hanger having a roller to travel on the track, and means for adjustably I connecting the hanger with the door, substantially as described.

3. In a door closure, the combination of a casting secured to the door frame, a circular track pivotally supported at one end and having the other end provided with a rack plate and vertically adjustable on the casting, a pawl supported by the casting and adapted to hold the rack: plate in the required position, and a hanger secured to the door and having a roller to travel on the said track, substantially as described.

4. In a door closure, a circular track inclined on its upper edge and adapted to be disposed above the door, a bracket to be attached to the door and having a large opening, a hanger having a shank which is adapted to pass through the opening in the bracket and adjustable therein laterally, vertically and pivotally, and means for securing the hanger in the required position, substantially as described.

5. In a self closing door, the combination with a bracket having a vertical opening and a notched flange, of a hanger having a flat sided shank vertically adjustable in the said bracket, and a plate apertured to receive the said shank and turn laterally therewith and engage with the notched flange, substantially as described.

6. Ina self closing door the combination with a bracket having a vertical openingand a notched flange, a hanger having a threaded shank passing through the opening in the bracket and flattened, adjusting nuts having notched faces to secure the hanger in the required lateral and vertical adjustment, looking springs to hold the nuts from accidental loosening, and a plate fitted on the flattened shank and adapted to engage with the said notched flange to hold the hanger in the required pivotal adjustment, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MYRON R. HUBBELL.

Witnesses:

Mosns J. LEACH, L. D. WEBSTER. 

